Page 16 of Bully's Second Chance
I closed my eyes. “It’s nothing personal. I just don’t know if—”
But, he cupped my cheeks and forced my stare to gaze into his. “If you don’t want to work there, then don’t. But if you do, then don’t quit. Who cares about this man and what he thinks? This is your life, and you’ve lived it by others' rules long enough.”
Guadalupe nodded out of the corner of my eye. “He’s right.”
My eyes watered. “Do you really think this will be good for me?”
He kissed my forehead. “I think you’re not going to know if you don’t at least try.”
My phone started buzzing in my bra, so Yuslan released my face. I pulled it out and wiped off the screen before realizing that I didn’t recognize the number texting me. I had half of a mind to simply delete it. But, when I opened it, I knew exactly who it was from.
Jax: Meet me back at the office. There are some last-minute things to go over. Oh, and sometimes I’ll need you after business hours. It’s time and a half, though, so no worries. See you in thirty.
I groaned. “Duty calls.”
Yuslan stood before offering me his hand, helping me to stand up. “This late?”
Guadalupe giggled a bit. “You know how men like Jax work. We’re around them all the time. They work and work and work until someone comes along and slaps a bit of sense into them.”
I peeked over at her. “You think I could be that for him?”
And when she smiled, something gleamed behind her eye that I didn’t recognize. “Sometimes, Lily, youralto, oscuro, y guapois in the last place you’d expect.”
My face fell flat. “I’m not hooking up with my boss.”
She hugged me. “Just keep an open mind and always do what’s best for you. No one else can ask for more than that.”
Then, Yuslan stole me for a hug. “And let me know when you get there. I worry about your driving at night.”
I kissed his cheek. “Will do, Pa.”
Then, I kissed Guadalupe’s cheek. “Love you, Ma.”
“We love you, too,” they said in unison.
I blazed a trail back to the office and made my way up the elevator only to find Jax hunched over his desk. He still had on his clothes from a few hours ago, and it gave me pause.
“Have you even gone home yet?” I asked.
But, he ignored my question. “Come. Sit. I have a massive video conference in a few hours, and I need to be prepared.”
I walked over and sat in front of his desk. “The one on your schedule for—”
“Yes, yes. That’s the one.”
“What can I do to help?”
He pointed toward his filing cabinet. “Find these files as I call them out. You’re going to help me go through and cherry-pick some information.”
I set my purse down and walked over to the cabinet. “All right, first file.”
“Jackson, Sarah A.”
I ripped open the filing cabinet that housed everything that started withJ,and my eyes darted through the labels. It didn’t take us long to secure all of the files he needed, but I wondered why he needed me for such a mundane task. After the files, we sorted the information he needed before we typed it up in a document that he could print out and have in front of him.
And while Jax as a whole human sucked balls, working with him wasn’t terrible.
When midnight turned the corner, though, it was time for the video conference. I yawned as I gathered my things, prepared to head home and crash before I had to be back in this place in eight hours.
